Whitewater and family rafting trips on the french broad river near asheville, nc

Trip Types

The full day trip is about eight and a half miles. We run the same five mile stretch of river as the half day trip, stop and have a beach side, picnic style lunch, and then instead of stopping after five miles, we keep going on to Hot Springs, NC. This extra three and a half miles takes us on a journey through beautiful and remote Pisgah National Forrest, past the ghost town of Runion, and through the classic class IV Frank Bells Rapid.

This white water rafting trip travels the same section of the French Broad River as the Half-Day Whitewater Trip. The pace for the lunch trip allows more time on the river and includes a stop along the way for lunch. The lunch is a fresh deli / picnic style and is served riverside. The time frame for this trip is the same as the half day trip with about an hour (depends on trip size) added for lunch and a more leisurely pace. Please let us know if you are under any time constraints.

The afternoon half day trip runs the same five mile stretch of class I-III whitewater as the morning half day with lunch trip. We just don't have lunch. We do, however, have a little snack waiting for us when we reach the take out.

WHAT OUR GUESTS SAY

Yesterday I donned my Blue Heron t-shirt and recalled the delightful rafting experience I enjoyed there with my daughter and (very likely) future son-in-law. It occurred a year ago, almost to the day. I don't usually write reviews like this, but promised myself I would post something this time. It's taken me a year - but they earned it. Although the details aren't as fresh in my memory now as they were then, I recall that we had a rafting expedition that was perfectly suited to our group's level of inexperience. I remember, too, thinking that the price was very reasonable. It was just the right level of excitement: there were plenty of genuine thrills, but we weren't all-out terrified. There were opportunities for pictures, and we were provided with snacks. At one point, we stopped along the shore and were given the opportunity to leap into the river from a bluff - that was a hoot! If I recall, Laura was our guide. She was very knowledgeable, and during the less rollicking moments of our trip, she shared all kinds of information and lore about the river, the folks who lived along it, and various interesting rafting expeditions over the years. That was fascinating. When I asked her about the history of the company, and about the other companies in the area, she displayed a level of class that is, sadly, not so common these days: while singing the praises of her Blue Heron colleagues, she had only nice things to say about her competitors. I had a preview of that kind of classy attitude before the trip got started: we could buy some dive slippers or water shoes - but they also had dozens of pairs of used shoes - sneakers and such - that previous patrons had left, which we could pick from at no charge. I opted to buy some new slippers, which I have since used repeatedly, but giving customers that option, even though it might mean reduced profits, really resonated with me. It kind of reminded me of that scene in "Miracle at 34th Street" - where the department store Santa... well, you'd have to see the movie. In sum, the trip was thrilling and fascinating, led by a seasoned, classy guide, with a company that keeps costs reasonable. I will return to Asheville soon, and I wouldn't raft with anyone else.

My children (10 and 12) and I did the full day trip and had a blast! The staff are friendly, professional, and knowledgable. Our guide, Sam, kept us all on track (and in the raft)-- she was excellent! Would recommend this outfitter to anyone.

My fiance and I were planning a trip to Asheville and I was in charge of finding some awesome things for us to do. We were both interested in whitewater rafting and after some extensive research browsing many different company's websites, we chose to go with Blue Heron Whitewater on a full day (8 mile) trip. Best choice ever! It looked like we were going to run into rain and the forecast said low 60's for the day. Thankfully, Blue Heron lent us some wet suits and splash jackets (they provide these for free-- not everyone does!) to keep us comfortable for the entire day. The coldest part of the day was taking them off at the end of the trip!

The trip itself was awesome-- the rapids were very fun and the view was gorgeous! My fiance and I actually got to go out by ourselves with our guide, Drew, and our guide-in-training, Dan. Drew was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history of the river. He kept us laughing the entire way and kept us busy (and wet!) going through the rapids. We didn't have a lot of specifics planned for the rest of our Asheville trip, so Drew and Dan recommended some AWESOME restaurants as well as hikes. We parked where they told us to park downtown, ate where they told us to eat, and even hiked on specific trails they suggested the next day. We ended with a trip to Hot Springs as per their recommendation as well. My fiance and I felt that they not only gave us a GREAT day on the river, but helped make the rest of our trip fantastic!! In the end we left Blue Heron Whitewater (and Asheville) with huge smiles on our faces. Thank you!!

My fiance and I were planning a trip to Asheville and I was in charge of finding some awesome things for us to do. We were both interested in whitewater rafting and after some extensive research browsing many different company's websites, we chose to go with Blue Heron Whitewater on a full day (8 mile) trip. Best choice ever! It looked like we were going to run into rain and the forecast said low 60's for the day. Thankfully, Blue Heron lent us some wet suits and splash jackets (they provide these for free-- not everyone does!) to keep us comfortable for the entire day. The coldest part of the day was taking them off at the end of the trip!

The trip itself was awesome-- the rapids were very fun and the view was gorgeous! My fiance and I actually got to go out by ourselves with our guide, Drew, and our guide-in-training, Dan. Drew was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history of the river. He kept us laughing the entire way and kept us busy (and wet!) going through the rapids. We didn't have a lot of specifics planned for the rest of our Asheville trip, so Drew and Dan recommended some AWESOME restaurants as well as hikes. We parked where they told us to park downtown, ate where they told us to eat, and even hiked on specific trails they suggested the next day. We ended with a trip to Hot Springs as per their recommendation as well. My fiance and I felt that they not only gave us a GREAT day on the river, but helped make the rest of our trip fantastic!! In the end we left Blue Heron Whitewater (and Asheville) with huge smiles on our faces. Thank you!!

My fiance and I were planning a trip to Asheville and I was in charge of finding some awesome things for us to do. We were both interested in whitewater rafting and after some extensive research browsing many different company's websites, we chose to go with Blue Heron Whitewater on a full day (8 mile) trip. Best choice ever! It looked like we were going to run into rain and the forecast said low 60's for the day. Thankfully, Blue Heron lent us some wet suits and splash jackets (they provide these for free-- not everyone does!) to keep us comfortable for the entire day. The coldest part of the day was taking them off at the end of the trip!

The trip itself was awesome-- the rapids were very fun and the view was gorgeous! My fiance and I actually got to go out by ourselves with our guide, Drew, and our guide-in-training, Dan. Drew was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history of the river. He kept us laughing the entire way and kept us busy (and wet!) going through the rapids. We didn't have a lot of specifics planned for the rest of our Asheville trip, so Drew and Dan recommended some AWESOME restaurants as well as hikes. We parked where they told us to park downtown, ate where they told us to eat, and even hiked on specific trails they suggested the next day. We ended with a trip to Hot Springs as per their recommendation as well. My fiance and I felt that they not only gave us a GREAT day on the river, but helped make the rest of our trip fantastic!! In the end we left Blue Heron Whitewater (and Asheville) with huge smiles on our faces. Thank you!!

My fiance and I were planning a trip to Asheville and I was in charge of finding some awesome things for us to do. We were both interested in whitewater rafting and after some extensive research browsing many different company's websites, we chose to go with Blue Heron Whitewater on a full day (8 mile) trip. Best choice ever! It looked like we were going to run into rain and the forecast said low 60's for the day. Thankfully, Blue Heron lent us some wet suits and splash jackets (they provide these for free-- not everyone does!) to keep us comfortable for the entire day. The coldest part of the day was taking them off at the end of the trip!

The trip itself was awesome-- the rapids were very fun and the view was gorgeous! My fiance and I actually got to go out by ourselves with our guide, Drew, and our guide-in-training, Dan. Drew was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history of the river. He kept us laughing the entire way and kept us busy (and wet!) going through the rapids. We didn't have a lot of specifics planned for the rest of our Asheville trip, so Drew and Dan recommended some AWESOME restaurants as well as hikes. We parked where they told us to park downtown, ate where they told us to eat, and even hiked on specific trails they suggested the next day. We ended with a trip to Hot Springs as per their recommendation as well. My fiance and I felt that they not only gave us a GREAT day on the river, but helped make the rest of our trip fantastic!! In the end we left Blue Heron Whitewater (and Asheville) with huge smiles on our faces. Thank you!!

My fiance and I were planning a trip to Asheville and I was in charge of finding some awesome things for us to do. We were both interested in whitewater rafting and after some extensive research browsing many different company's websites, we chose to go with Blue Heron Whitewater on a full day (8 mile) trip. Best choice ever! It looked like we were going to run into rain and the forecast said low 60's for the day. Thankfully, Blue Heron lent us some wet suits and splash jackets (they provide these for free-- not everyone does!) to keep us comfortable for the entire day. The coldest part of the day was taking them off at the end of the trip!

The trip itself was awesome-- the rapids were very fun and the view was gorgeous! My fiance and I actually got to go out by ourselves with our guide, Drew, and our guide-in-training, Dan. Drew was very knowledgeable and told us a lot about the history of the river. He kept us laughing the entire way and kept us busy (and wet!) going through the rapids. We didn't have a lot of specifics planned for the rest of our Asheville trip, so Drew and Dan recommended some AWESOME restaurants as well as hikes. We parked where they told us to park downtown, ate where they told us to eat, and even hiked on specific trails they suggested the next day. We ended with a trip to Hot Springs as per their recommendation as well. My fiance and I felt that they not only gave us a GREAT day on the river, but helped make the rest of our trip fantastic!! In the end we left Blue Heron Whitewater (and Asheville) with huge smiles on our faces. Thank you!!

My children (10 and 12) and I did the full day trip and had a blast! The staff are friendly, professional, and knowledgable. Our guide, Sam, kept us all on track (and in the raft)-- she was excellent! Would recommend this outfitter to anyone.

* Time on the water is influenced by river levels and time of year. The higher the river level the faster the current. The busiest time of year is mid-June through mid-August, when more trips are out on the water. Please let us know if you have time constraints, i.e. a flight to catch, or a wedding to attend.

Typical trip times are 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. If you have specific scheduling requests please call. We are a small and nimble, guest-focused company! We will do our best to make your trip happen.

Reservations are highly recommended for all whitewater and scenic float trips. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available.